World Health Organisation gives "positive assessment" to Georgia's coronavirus prevention efforts
The WHO Regional Office for Europe hosted a meeting involving envoys, including Georgia's Ambassador to Denmark Gigi Gigiadze, where the coronavirus threat was a major subject. Photo via WHO.
Tweet 
Share
Officials from the World Health Organisation gave "positive assessment" to Georgia's efforts for preventing a spread of the coronavirus outbreak in the country this week.
In a meeting following a WHO Regional Office for Europe event on the Covid-19 virus in Copenhagen, Regional Director Hans Kluge and Nedret Emiroglu, Director of the Division of Health Emergencies and Communicable Diseases, gave their assessment to Georgia's Ambassador to Denmark Gigi Gigiadze.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia said the two officials had given their approval of the efforts for early identification and prevention of further spread of the virus in Georgia.
#COVID19 virus doesn't stop at borders. With @WHO colleagues we spoke today with ambassadors representing countries across the European Region about the need for joint measures to control and prevent spread of the #coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/D89y9YK843
— Hans Kluge (@hans_kluge) March 2, 2020
A particular mention for the work against the outbreak went to the Tbilisi-based National Center For Disease Control and Public Health and its manager Amiran Gamkrelidze.
The meeting between the ambassador and WHO officials also involved discussions on cooperation between the organisation and Georgia.
The Georgian government on Tuesday unveiled a website for informing citizens about current information on prevention, spread and recommended measures against the virus.
Information on the page is updated daily at specific time and shows figures for international spread of the coronavirus as well as answers to frequently asked questions about the disease.
Head of the National Disease Control Centre (NCDC) has urged media outlets to refrain from ‘making a political scene’ and ‘inappropriately insulting medics’ regarding the coronavirus situation in the country ‘as the issue is not political.'He stated that Mtavari Arkhi and its founder Nika Gvaramia have made ‘ungrounded accusations’ against the NCDC and responsible state agencies, blaming them of ‘being unprepared for the virus and being intransparent.’
The Government Reserve Fund has allocated 1 million GEL ($358,358) to the Ministry of Health to respond to the challenge of the new coronavirus in Georgia. The Ministry of Finance has also been instructed to allocate additional financial resources to the Ministry of Health if necessary.
Eight, who are quarantined in Tbilisi Hospital of Infections Diseases given their recent travel activity to Iran or Italy or contact with people who recently returned from these countries, have tested negative for the new, China-born Covid-19 virus. As of now 19 individuals remain in hospital, with only three cases of coronavirus detection.
Public schools will be closed in Georgia until March 16 as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As of today, three Georgian citizens have tested positive for COVID-19, while 170 others, who have been travelling to countries with high risk of the virus, remain under the quarantine in Georgia.
The government of Georgia has created a website - www.stopcov.ge - to inform the public about the coronavirus and provide information about the measures taken by the government to prevent thr spread of the coronavirus across the country.
Newly appointed US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has met with Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze today and stated that Georgia is dealing very well with the global crisis related to the new coronavirus – Covid-19.
Austrian Minister of Health Rudolf Anschober said that Georgia manages to control the coronavirus well.
The World Health Organization (WHO) sees many positive signs from different countries in the fight against the new coronavirus outbreak including Georgia, noted Catherine Smallwood, WHO's senior health emergency officer for Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili by phone and praised the measures Georgia has carried out in the fight against the new coronavirus pandemic.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier today to discuss cooperation between the two countries and wrote on her twitter account that Georgia and South Korea are “ready to move to more concrete steps on free trade, more tourism, and more cooperation once this pandemic is over.”
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has joined world leaders at the Global Vaccine Summit 2020 hosted remotely by the UK government. In his address, PM Gakharia spoke of importance of global partnership for a small country like Georgia in ensuring public health and security.
Georgia has reported four new cases of coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 805. 650 of the 805 patients have recovered, while 13 others have died. As of today 142 people remain infected with COVID-19 in Georgia. Two of the new cases are from the so-called Saburlato cluster in Tbilisi, while the other two individuals were under quarantine.
The UK PM Boris Johnson has sent a letter to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and thanked him for the participation in the Global Vaccine Summit on June 4.
Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation Regional Director for Europe, has commended the Georgian government for its early response to the pandemic and for its economic recovery plan.
UN, USAID has launched a joint, large-scale study on the COVID-19 crisis management and the impact of the pandemic on social, human rights in Georgia.
A number of innovative approaches, such as fever clinics, online clinics and COVID hotels may be a good example for other countries while fighting against COVID-19 pandemic, said Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe at a press conference with Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze.
Covid-19 response of the Georgian authorities and specifically government led by the Prime Minister is truly commendable, has stated Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Redonal Director for Europe after his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia today.